Species Details

Euclidia cuspidea

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum Read more about this collection »

Common NameToothed Somberwing SeasonalityIn Alberta adults fly in late May and June. IdentificationA medium-size (2.8-3.6 cm wingspan) broad-winged dark black-brown diurnal moth. The forewings are dark brown, with a blackish antemedian band prominently toothed on its proximal side, and a narrower post-median band with a dark triangle at its upper end. The terminal area is broadly light brown. The hindwings are black-brown, with one or two narrow faint postmedian lines and a broad orange-brown terminal band. The antennae are simple and the sexes are similar. Other Alberta grass-moths (Caenurgina sp.) are lighter grey or grey brown in color. In flight Euclidia greatly resemble skippers of the genus Erynnis; they flush from the ground and fly rapidly for 20 meters or so before dropping back to the ground.

Scientific Name Euclidia cuspidea Common Name Toothed Somberwing Habitat Grassy wooded edges, clearings and mesic meadows with long grass. Seasonality In Alberta adults fly in late May and June. Identification
A medium-size (2.8-3.6 cm wingspan) broad-winged dark black-brown diurnal moth. The forewings are dark brown, with a blackish antemedian band prominently toothed on its proximal side, and a narrower post-median band…
A medium-size (2.8-3.6 cm wingspan) broad-winged dark black-brown diurnal moth. The forewings are dark brown, with a blackish antemedian band prominently toothed on its proximal side, and a narrower post-median band with a dark triangle at its upper end. The terminal area is broadly light brown. The hindwings are black-brown, with one or two narrow faint postmedian lines and a broad orange-brown terminal band. The antennae are simple and the sexes are similar. Other Alberta grass-moths (Caenurgina sp.) are lighter grey or grey brown in color. In flight Euclidia greatly resemble skippers of the genus Erynnis; they flush from the ground and fly rapidly for 20 meters or so before dropping back to the ground.
Life History
The Toothed sombrewing is unusual in that the adults are active both during the day and the night, and are attracted to light. They also come to sugar bait (Handfield, 1999). There appears to be a single annual brood.…
The Toothed sombrewing is unusual in that the adults are active both during the day and the night, and are attracted to light. They also come to sugar bait (Handfield, 1999). There appears to be a single annual brood. The larvae are slender and cylindrical, brown with fine longitudinal striation, forming subdorsal, stigmatal and subventral bands, with the stigmatal stripe comprised of four striae and running onto the side of the head (Forbes, 1954).
Conservation A common widespread species; no concerns. Diet Info Clover (Trifolium sp.) and grasses (Graminiae) (Forbes, 1954); also reported to use sweetfern (Comptonia sp.) and lupine (Lupinus sp.) (Covell, 1984). Range
Quebec west to western Alberta, north to the Northwest Territories and south to the Gulf of Mexico. In mesic habitats throughout most of Alberta, from the Milk River to the Caribou Mountains. Cuspidea is replaced in…
Quebec west to western Alberta, north to the Northwest Territories and south to the Gulf of Mexico. In mesic habitats throughout most of Alberta, from the Milk River to the Caribou Mountains. Cuspidea is replaced in BC by the very closely related and similar appearing E. ardita.

Citation

Page Citation for Euclidia cuspidea

Page Citation

"Species Details - Euclidia cuspidea, University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum." University of Alberta Museums Search Site, https://search.museums.ualberta.ca/g/2-3814. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Authorship

Name Anweiler, G. G.
Role species page author
Date 2003-11-17

References

Specimen Information

There are 94 specimens of this Species.

94 results plotted on map in 40 markers.
Note: Only records with latitude and longitude coordinates are plotted on map.

BIRD18013 - Euclidia cuspidea

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2006-05-16

BIRD18014 - Euclidia cuspidea

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Winfield Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2006-05-19

BIRD18015 - Euclidia cuspidea

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2006-06-12

BIRD22119 - Euclidia cuspidea

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Winfield Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2008-07-20

UASM185643 - Euclidia cuspidea

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: British Columbia, Peace River Collected ByTroubridge, J. Date Collected1999-07-11

UASM185644 - Euclidia cuspidea

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Ontario, Ottawa Collected ByTroubridge, J. Date Collected2003-07-03

UASM185645 - Euclidia cuspidea

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Ontario, Ottawa Collected ByTroubridge, J. Date Collected2004-06-24

UASM185646 - Euclidia cuspidea

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Ontario, Carp Ridge Collected ByTroubridge, J. Date Collected2004-07-01

UASM185647 - Euclidia cuspidea

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: New Brunswick, Bathurst Collected ByWebster, R. P. Date Collected1993-06-26

UASM185648 - Euclidia cuspidea

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Tolman Bridge Collected ByAnweiler, G. Date Collected2002-07-01

UASM185649 - Euclidia cuspidea

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Tolman Bridge Collected ByAnweiler, G. Date Collected2002-07-01

UASM185650 - Euclidia cuspidea

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park Collected ByAnweiler, G. G. Date Collected1997-06-15

UASM185651 - Euclidia cuspidea

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park Collected ByAnweiler, G. G. Date Collected1997-06-15

UASM185652 - Euclidia cuspidea

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Nojack Provincial Recreation Area Collected ByAnweiler, G. G. Date Collected2001-06-15

UASM185653 - Euclidia cuspidea

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: New Brunswick, Saint-Basile Collected ByHensel, H. Date Collected1996-06-12

UASM185654 - Euclidia cuspidea

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: New Brunswick, Saint-Basile Collected ByHensel, H. Date Collected1996-06-12

UASM185655 - Euclidia cuspidea

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: New Brunswick, Saint-Basile Collected ByHensel, H. Date Collected1996-06-13

UASM185656 - Euclidia cuspidea

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: New Brunswick, Saint-Basile Collected ByHensel, H. Date Collected2001-05-27

UASM185657 - Euclidia cuspidea

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Tofield Collected BySchmidt, B. C. Date Collected2000-06-05

UASM185658 - Euclidia cuspidea

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Tofield Collected BySchmidt, B. C. Date Collected2000-06-05

UASM185659 - Euclidia cuspidea

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Tofield Collected BySchmidt, B. C. Date Collected2000-06-05

Adult Seasonal Distribution